Have your say on our draft budget for 2025/26

Residents are invited to share their views on our proposals that set out how we plan to set a balanced budget and fund essential local services from April 2025.

You can have your say on the proposals on our RBWM Together page until Thursday 30 January.

If you know someone who needs assistance with accessing the online survey or a paper copy of the consultation, please encourage them to visit one of the borough's libraries

Feedback will be reviewed with the draft budget proposals in January, which will then be reported with the final budget for consideration by the council’s Cabinet at the end of February and be voted on by all councillors on Wednesday 5 March.

Our Christmas and New year opening hours

Over the festive period, our customer contact centre, libraries and museum will also be operating on different opening hours. For a full list of changes, please visit our webpage

Preventing domestic abuse and supporting victims

We’ve updated our Domestic Abuse Strategy aiming to prevent domestic abuse and promote the support that is available to victims in our borough.

The new strategy includes more focus on the support that is available through safe accommodation, strengthening community-based services for victims and ways to respond to perpetrators - with a stronger emphasis on ensuring that victims from our hardest to reach communities and with protected characteristics receive the help they deserve.

If you witness or are experiencing domestic abuse, support is available from The DASH Charity by calling their helpline on 01753 549865 (Monday to Thursday 9.30am - 3pm and Fridays 9.30am to 12 noon) or by calling the 24/7 National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 20000247. Always dial 999 in an emergency.

Read more about the range of support that is available in the Royal Borough

Holyport roundabout improvements start soon



Work to upgrade the mini roundabout to prevent accidents and improve traffic flow at the junction of Holyport Road and the A308 will start on Monday 6 January, as part of our commitment to a cleaner, greener and safer borough.

Following preparatory work carried out earlier this year, work on the new roundabout is set to take place after you told us you wanted to see more done to prevent accidents and reduce congestion on the major route between Windsor and Maidenhead. 

Plans for a larger roundabout will now be completed in the summer and will meet both the existing and expected increase in traffic, while making it safer for all road users to use the junction. 

Funded by a combination of Local Enterprise Partnership and Community Infrastructure Levy funding, the junction will also include cycle and walking lanes and informal crossing points.

Visit our project page to learn more and read the answers to questions about the project.

Worried about someone sleeping rough?



If you are concerned about a rough sleeper over the festive period, you can help to connect them to local support services by reporting it via StreetLink.

When creating a StreetLink alert, it is important to include as much detail as possible including a description of the person's appearance, clothing, and belongings as well as a precise location, including nearby street names, landmarks and park entrances.

Your accurate alert description will then help outreach teams to find and assist those sleeping rough.

If you are homeless, rough sleeping and require support, please contact our housing team by email or by call 01628 683221.

The Windsor Homeless Project is a local organisation that can also offer advice and support to people rough sleeping in the area.

Season's greetings

We're wishing residents very happy and safe celebrations during the festive season and a healthy and joyful start to the new year 2025!

Our next newsletter will be shared on Friday, 3 January 2025. 

Our consultations - have your say

We regularly hold consultations and surveys to seek your views on proposals within the Royal Borough: 

• Share your views on our draft budget proposals for 2025/26 by Thursday 30 January

• Have your say on the draft Maidenhead Neighbourhood Plan by this Sunday 22 December

• Share your views on the policing priorities and budget for Thames Valley Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner by 3 January 2025

• Complete this Women’s Health Survey from Healthwatch Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead by 10 January 2025

• Share your views on our emerging Parking Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) by 13 January 2025 

• Include your views on updates to our Housing Allocations Scheme before 16 January 2025

• Share your views on the future of Ascot in our draft Ascot SPD consultation by 19 January 2025

Community Spotlight

Here are some of the upcoming community events and volunteering opportunities in the Royal Borough: 

• Are you a trades-person who could give a little time occasionally to a local wildlife charity? Swan Lifeline is looking for a volunteer electrician, also someone with good general building / DIY skills for practical jobs at their magical island rescue centre in Eton. Please call Julian on 07824310745 or email

• The Royal Free Singers and United Reformed Church invite you to their Carol Concert at the United Reformed Church in Windsor on Saturday 21 December at 7.30pm. Admission is free and there will be tea and coffee, mince pies, mulled wine and a raffle.

•  All Saints Church, Boyne Hill are hosting their Christmas Concert at 6.30pm on Saturday 21 December. Local choir Renaissance Voices will be joined by the Mirabile Brass Quintet for a festive concert featuring music by Byrd, Victoria and Sweelinck. Visit their website

• Grace Church, Windsor invite your family to join their pop-up nativity service on Sunday 22 December at 4pm. Children are encouraged to come dressed as a nativity character and participate in the service and hearty carol singing and festive refreshments will be available for all.

• Christmas Carols around the Christmas tree will take place at Braywood Memorial Hall, Maidenhead on Sunday 22 December from 5.30pm to 6.30pm including mulled wine and mince pies. All are welcome and entry is free.

• St Michael's Church, Bray are holding a Crib Service for children of all ages on Christmas Eve at 3pm. Join them for songs and stories!

• Ellington Morris will be performing their traditional Mummers Play featuring St.George and the Turkish Knight fighting to the death and being brought back to life by a doctor and his wondrous horse, plus Molly Father Christmas, Jack Finney and Beelzebub. They will be at the Crown in Cookham on Boxing Day at 12pm and at the Dewdrop Inn in Hurley at 1.15pm in support of Maidenhead Mencap. Visit their website.

• Book your Christmas tree collection in aid of Thames Valley Hospice this winter. Riverside Tree Care are offering collections from Friday 3 to Tuesday 7 January from Maidenhead, Bray, Fifield, Holyport, Marlow, Windsor, Cookham and Bourne End. For more information email Nicholas or visit their website

• The Arts Society Englemere (Ascot’s evening Arts Society) will be holding their monthly lecture at Royal Ascot Golf Club in Ascot on Tuesday 14 January from 7.30pm, 'A Picture a Day - Peggy Guggenheim and the birth of mid-century modernism' by Jacky Klein. 

Do you have an upcoming not-for-profit community event or appeal for volunteers you’d like us to share? Send a short summary including key dates and a link to communications@rbwm.gov.uk and it could be shared with more than 21,000 local residents.

To see further volunteering opportunities in the borough, please visit RBWM Together

Local travel updates

For details of further council works on highways, visit our website. For full local roadwork details, including work by utility firms, please visit the One Network website   



• Work to upgrade the Holyport roundabout will start on Monday 6 January with construction taking place until 24 July 2025. The project follows your feedback on road safety in the area and is funded by Local Enterprise Partnership and the Community Infrastructure Levy

• Cycleway improvements will continue on Holmanleaze, Maidenhead until 14 March 2025 as part of our work to improve walking and cycling routes in the town centre

Keep in touch

Keep up to date with news and information from the council by signing up to Nextdoor and following us on X and Facebook

Other accounts you may be interested in:



• Royal Borough official tourism web page  
• Libraries on Facebook and X
• Royal Borough Registrars on Facebook and Instagram
• Communities Team on Facebook and X
• Windsor & Royal Borough Museum web page
• MyRoyalBorough on X, Facebook and Instagram
• Make Maidenhead on Facebook and Instagram